‘BJP vs BJP’: Rajiv Pratap Rudy defeats Sanjeev Balyan, wins Constitution Club poll

An intense ‘BJP versus BJP’ battle ended in wee hours of Wednesday, with Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy clinching a top post in the elite Constitution Club of India election defeating party colleague Sanjeev Balyan by 100 votes.

The results for elections to the post of Secretary Administration and 11 Executive Committee slots were declared at 2 am.

By the end of gruelling day that saw political stalwarts like Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge vote, Rudy had proved he rules the roost at the 78-year-old club.

Rudy bagged 391 votes against Balyan’s 291.

While Rudy, a five-term sitting MP, had the backing of the entire Opposition (non-BJP MPs appear to have voted en masse for him), Balyan was openly supported by BJP’s Godda MP Nishikant Dubey.

Rudy later admitted he has a bipartisan panel on which he had members of the Congress, BJP, SP, Left and TMC.

“This is a collective space for all of us and beyond parties. This is the win of my panel. We have been rewarded for our work,” said a jubilant Rudy, who had left the CCI around 5 pm post voting and returned around 10.30 pm when he had consolidated his lead.

Rudy didn’t drop his lead in any of the 28 rounds.

Also among winners for the 11 Executive Committee posts are Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda and Kurukshetra MP Navin Jindal.

About Constitution Club of India

Established in Curzon Road barracks in 1947, CCI was inaugurated at its current location by President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in 1965.

Governing Body elections at CCI were previously held in 2009, 2014 and 2019.

Notable figures, including BJP’s Vijay Goel and former President Ram Nath Kovind, have contested past CCI elections.

Lok Sabha Speaker is ex-officio President of CCI.

संसदीय क्लब के चुनाव में मैं संजीव बालियान जी के साथ था,हूँ ।यह चुनाव बालियान जी के जीवन का ऐतिहासिक चुनाव है,इसने उनकी ताक़त को दिखाया,कॉंग्रेस अध्यक्ष खडगे साहब व सोनिया गांधी जी का क्लब के चुनाव में वोट देने आना उनकी जीत है,कांग्रेस के वरिष्ठ नेता तत्कालीन सांसद तथा दिल्ली…

— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) August 13, 2025